Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-09-16
WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE !?
lgnatfus Donnelly's Claim at q
Baeonian Authorship Care.
fully Reviewed.
Many Facts Sustaining His Theo.
rles Called to the Public
Attention.
New York special

New York special.l
The New York World prints very
elaborate exposition of Mr.. Ignatius Dom
neliys attempt to dethrone Shakespeare,
ana aWard the honor of the so-called
saakspeare plays to Lord Bacon. The
article Is written by Professor Thomas
Davidson, well-known scholar, philoso-
pher ana critic, whose opinion as to Mr..
Donnellys work can not fail to cary great
weight.
MIR. Davidson has recently paid Mr..
Uonnelly visit at his home at Hastings,
Mimi, examined the manuscript of lis
forthcoming work, the "Great Cryptogram,"
had the main features of the CIPHER ex-
planned TO him, and obtained permission to
report: Retore examining Mr.. Donnelly's
work Mr.. davidson was an entire skeptic in
regard 10 hc Bacon theory; but he now ad-
bellef th't the plays were written
they had come down to us without any
authors lame attached, they would have
9een unlesitatingly attributed to Bacon.
he says he reached this conviction alto
gether apart from the cypher. The articles
give brief summary of the results reached
IN MIR. Donnelly's book, which is to be
published about the LIST of December. The
BOOK is divided into two partisan argu-
Ment and demonstration. The former
collec'l, arranges, and sums up all the
aargumtnts that have been put forward in
Tie lft thirty years in favor of the
baconNn theory, and adds large number
70 then. The author first endeavors to
snow TINT the education and character of
William Shakespeare were such that it is
even ridiculous to imagine that he could
have Wrlt ten plays which are distilled from
on the Nsdom and learning of the world.
lie sEowt that his education must have
peen extrtmely meager, while that of the
author oflthe plays was broad and deep.
lie emphssizes the fact that we have no
record of any study on the part of Shak-
speare.
His account of Shakspeare's character
Will certainly be surprise to most readers.
He shows hin to have been stepped in al
most every lind of vice, to have been
fornlcater, anadulterer. a usurer and OPP
pressor of thepoor, drunkard, system
attic liar, and ,orger of pedigrees, dying in
the prime of life from the results of
three days drul ken spree. He next shows
that We have 10 record that Shakespeare
ever owned q library of even a book, and
that not single scrap of manuscript of his
ever came down to US, not even a letter to
any OF the Numerous men with whom he is
known to have been acquainted; nay, more,
that there is extant no letter addressed to
him, except one asking for loan of money.
There is nothing to show that Shakespeare
was not very iliterate.
MIR. Donnelly next proves very clearly
that while the anthor of the plays was an
accomplished lawyer, there is nothing to
show that Shakespeare ever opened law
book, or was inside a lawyers Office, except
| on usurious business.
Having demonstrated to his own salts
faction that the author of the plays was
not Shakespeare, Mr.. Donnelly next pro-
ceeds to prove that he was Bacon. After
adducing evidence to show that Bacon was
poet, and the author of the plays, and a
profound and learned philosopher, he treats
of the geography of the plays, and here he
brings out some most tell-taIe facts. While
neither Stratford (where Shakespeare was
born) nor Avon is ever once mentioned in
the plays, st. Adams, the home of Bacon.
is mentioned twenty three times. He next
shows that the politics and the religion of
the writer of the plays are identical with
Bacon's politics and religion, and that what
Bacon declared to be his great life purpose
is fully exemplifed in the plays.
A chapter is devoted to Bacon's reasons
for concealment, and here come out some
startling facts. It appears not only that
Bacon wrote works which he never public
| by one of his friends as the greatest wit in
| England, though not known as such by his
own name. Among the reasons for con-
cealment, Mr.. Donnelly puts the political
tendency Of some of the plays, which was
to encourage treason.
| The first part of the work closes with q
| long list of parallelisms between Bacons
acknowledged works and the Shakspearaan
plays, identical expressions metaphors,
opinions, quotations, studies, errors, use
Of unusual words, character, style, etc.
The parallelisms will occupy over seventy
closely printed pages. The result of the
whole argument according to Mr.. David
son, is to leave upon the mind a strong i'm
preston that, if Bacon was not the sole
author Of the plays, he had at least prin-
cipal hand in them, supplying the scholar
ship, the art. and the philosophy.
After the argument making the author
ship of Bacon probable comes the demon
stration, that is, the cipher narrative,
which has already aroused SO much inter-
est in the public. MIR. Davidson's article
tells how Mr.. Donnelly came TO look for 8
cipher, and the laborious process by which
he finally found it Gas he believes). The
story is full of interest.
As to the cipher itself, Mr.. Davidson
does not claim to be in position to en-
tirely satisfy the public, not having re.
ceived from Mr.. bonnelly the ultimate
formula of it. He does, however, express
his strong conviction that Mr.. Donnelly il
neither fraud nor q Crank" To cleal
away any feeling Of this sort on the part Of
the public, he gives brief account of Dir
Donnelly's career, and description of his
simple home life in Minnesota. It seem!
that Mr.. Donnelly is quiet, genial, coun'
try-loying, studious man, devoted t.
thought, and fond Of good joke. The
picture drawn of his life on the Mississippi
bluff is charming. 1t being certain tina
Mr.. Donnelly is not fraud, and not like
", his character and intelligence beine
taken into account, to be self-deceived
Mr.. Davidson hardly sees how the con
clusion that the cipher is reality can bt
avoided. He. however. suspends his owl
Judgment until Mr.. Donnelly has said hi
last word. About the cipher itself, mucl
new information is given. Its basis. mum.
bers, and its modifers are disclosed, ant
it is shown whence they are derived. In
formation is also given as to how the cal
culations are made, and assurance is made
excepting possible clerical errors they are
correct. Some notion of the labor gone
through by Mr.. Donnelly may. be obtained
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